Improvement in hitching device foe whiffle-teees



H. & J. M. SAUNDERS. HITGHING DEVICE FOR 'WHIFFLETREE S.

No. 69,369. Patented Oct. 1, 1867.

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HENRY SAUNDERS AND JAMES M. SAUNDERS, 0F OXFORD, OHIO.

Lotti-rs Patent 1V0. 69,369, Jaicrl October 1, 1867.

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Be it known that we, Hnxar Savxnnns and Jams M. SAUNDERS, of Oxford, in the county of Butler, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Safety Hitching Devices for Whifilc-Trees and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use our invention, we will proceed to describe it.

Our invention consists of a new and improved safety device for whiflle-trees, by which runaway, or unruly, or vicious horses may be promptly released from the carriage or other vehicle to which they are hitched, and thus save. both the carriage and its occupants from injury or accident, In the drawings Figurel is atop plan view of the whiflle-tree with our devices attached, and also a sectional view of a portion.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the rear-side of the whiil'le tree with our devices attached, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of ring sliding on the shaftor thill.

In constructingour device we attach to single-trees A, of any ize used, arms 13, made of metal, anddicnt and formed as shown infigs. 1' and 2, so as to leave a sufiicicnt space between their curved ends and the ends of the single-tree for the easy movement of the end of a trace, and also so as to serve as stops for the bolts C C. We then fasten upon the single-tree, parallel with its length, and lnear either end, hollow tubes D, provided with a bolt, C, having about it aspiral spring, a, arranged so as to force out the bolt Cagainst the arm or stop B and hold it there, as shown in the sectional view of fig. 1. The bolt G we make of sufficient length to project beyond the end 6 of the tube D, and to the end of the bolt we fasten a cord, r, and pass it over the pulleys (i. As the arrangement isthe same on either side of the centre of each single-trce','the cords (2 will come together and unite at c, as shown in figpl and then pass united into the carriage. The brceching-strap of the harness we fasten to a locp,f, of the metal ring which slides on the shaft, which has a check, It, to limit its backward movement, and also for it to bear against when backing. In order that these rings may slide oil the shaft easily, when attached to and are pulled by the brecching-strap, we make it in form nsshown in fig. 3, and fasten the strap to the projecting loop. i

In using our device with single or one-horse vehicle we pass the rings over the shafts and then slip the ends of the traces over the ends of the bolt C. Now, should the horse become unmanageable, it will be only necessary 7 to pull upon the cords c to release him, for, as the cords c are pulled, the bolts 0 are drawn back, the ends of the traces drop, and as the horse moves forward the rings g slide form the shaft and the horse is free. The same arrangement may be used when two single-trees are connected to awhifi le-treo, and when two horses are hitched up instead of one; In that case each single-tree will e provided with the device, and the cords will come together, so that all the traces may be released at once.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1 The application to the whittlc-tree A of the arms or stops .1, the cases D with the spring-bolt C encased therein, with the cords c and pulleys (I, when the same are arranged to operate as herein 'shown and dcscribml.

' HENRY SAUNDERS.

J. M. SAUNDERS.

Witnesses.

J E. Nnw'rox, H. R. Wnnn. 

